


Mistakes and Milestones

by deadgranger



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Community: HPFT, F/M, Infidelity, School, lots of swearing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-29
Updated: 2019-08-29
Packaged: 2020-09-29 18:41:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,814
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20440694
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/deadgranger/pseuds/deadgranger
Summary: James is suspicious of Lily and Remus being together so often, but it all works out in the end, even better than Remus could have hoped for.Written for the HPFT 2018-2019 House Cup Great CollabRound 3 Team Bluestar: Take Me Home | Infidelity





	Mistakes and Milestones

“Lily, are you ready to go?” Remus asked. 

She looked up from her hands entwined in James’s lap and smiled brightly. “Yep, just let me grab my bag!” 

She hopped up from the couch and dashed up the stairs to the girls dormitory, returning with her bag slung over her shoulder. Pecking James on the cheek, she told him goodbye before leaving the common room with Remus, talking animatedly with him. 

James frowned as they exited the portrait hole, hating the green feeling settling in his stomach that he couldn’t shake. This was their sixth or seventh time going off together outside of the common room, laughing and smiling at each other. Even before he’d started dating Lily, she’d never really taken an interest in being friends, per se, with Remus. If anything, she was his direct competition for top student of Gryffindor House and her mean streak was well known at this point in their school. Either way, he didn’t want to talk to Sirius about these feelings and concerns, because Sirius would surely just laugh at him and tell him to let it go. 

Sure, she’d hung out with Remus before when James and Sirius were bound in detention with Filch or Professor McGonagall, but Peter had usually been there too, right? He supposed the last few times Peter had gotten into trouble on his own though, leaving just Lily and Remus to hang out. James shook his head to clear it of these thoughts. They were almost done with school, two more months and their N.E.W.T.S. would be over with and they’d all be Hogwarts graduates.

He’d already started talking to Lily about moving in together after they were done, into a small flat in Godric’s Hollow near his parents’ old place. She seemed enthusiastic about the idea, really showing him more than telling at the time. But now? Now he was seriously beginning to doubt her and her commitment to him even though she knew how head over heels he was for her. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The portrait hole opened, causing James to reflexively look up from his Transfiguration textbook. Lily walked in with Remus, the two of them laughing and smiling at each other. James frowned when he saw Remus was carrying Lily’s bookbag for her. She tucked a loose bit of hair behind her ear and looked up at Remus through her lashes, envy washing over James as he watched the whole thing from across the common room. 

_ Where the hell had they gone off to for six hours after dinner? Why wasn’t he even invited along? _

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

James was nearly ready to tear his hair out studying for his Defense Against the Dark Arts N.E.W.T. Sirius wasn’t even working, instead trying and failing to flirt with Marlene over by the Exploding Snaps table. Peter had nodded off ages ago, the poor kid. So it was just James because, once again, Moony and Lily had deserted him. He was getting really tired of this shit. He felt like he hadn’t seen his girlfriend in weeks, let alone one of his best friends that he literally shared a dormitory with. The absence was really starting to get to him, and James wasn’t sure if these outings with the two of them should be indicative of something more going on that he wasn’t being told about. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

James stalked into the common room, glasses askew, hair wild, and a livid expression on his face. 

Remus turned from the chair he was reading in when the portrait hole opened, wondering who was coming in at this hour. It was nearly curfew, and he didn’t want any of his friends to get into trouble with McGonagall again for being out too late on non-werewolf-assistance business. Seeing James’s face though, that worried Remus. 

“James? What were you doing out so late?” Remus asked. 

James didn’t respond until Lily barged into the common room after James, face as bright as her hair. 

“Shut up, Remus! You’re not going to help the situation right now,” Lily said angrily. 

Remus held his hands up defensively, not wanting to face the wrath of both James and Lily. He sat back in the chair, watching the two of them pacing like lions trapped in a pen too small to contain their fury and power. The silent pacing went on for ages, with Remus getting increasingly worried that nonverbal spells would be launched and he’d have to intervene. 

“I can’t believe you’d think that I would do that to you,” Lily finally said, voice so quiet Remus almost didn’t hear her. 

“Why shouldn’t I? You’ve been sneaking off with him for months! How was I not going to think that was what was happening?” James fired back, shooting Remus a murderous look. 

“We were STUDYING, James!” Lily shouted, hair flying as she turned to look at him. “That’s what we’re here for! Not to sleep around, you bloody idiot! Why didn’t you just _ ask _ where we were going? Maybe you could’ve actually put something into that thick skull of yours!”

James looked rightfully ashamed of himself then, but Remus was utterly perplexed. 

“I’m not bloody cheating on you, James!” Lily finally exclaimed.

Remus understood instantly then, and he felt heat rush to his face in secondhand embarrassment for James, mixed emotions running through him at the implication of Lily’s statement. Now would probably be a terrible time to reveal to her that he’d crushed on her all throughout fifth and sixth year up until James had made it clear he was pursuing after her and Remus stopped any attempt of his own in deference to James.

“I-I….I’m sorry, Lily,” James apologized. 

“Why didn’t you just ask, Prongs?” Remus chimed in, the hurt evident in his voice. 

James whirled around to face Remus. “Sorry, mate. I knew how you felt last year, Moony, and I just let my jealousy get in the way of logic.” 

This was a good enough apology for Remus, even though it touched on sketchy territory for him -- _ did James have to be so knowledgeable about his private feelings literally all of the time? _

“Wait, wait, hold on. What did you just say about Remus?” Lily interjected. 

_ Dammit, Prongs, you fucking idiot look what you’ve done! _ Remus thought. 

The boys met eyes, fear present in both of them. 

“Uh, nothing, nothing, Lily. Just apologizing for being an ass,” James said hurriedly, running a hand through his untidy hair. 

Lily popped her hip and crossed her arms over her chest, raising an eyebrow at Remus, knowing he’d cave before James even broke a sweat. Thank Merlin no one else was awake at this hour in the common room or Remus would probably have melted straight into the carpet. 

Remus blushed crimson, looking between James and Lily. “Well, er, I, uh, maybe used to, er, have a, uh, crush on you during fifth year, maybe into sixth year a bit too,” he admitted, not meeting her gaze. 

Her expression softened as she absorbed the information. “Oh, Remus, I’m so sorry for dragging you into this mess.” 

“It’s okay, Lily,” Remus said sincerely. 

James rejoined the conversation, “It’s all my fault, really. I shouldn’t have said anything about that, Moony, and I should have just been less of a brick and asked you what you were doing.”   
He turned to Lily. “I know this isn’t my first time being a bloody arse and idiot, and it probably won’t be my last. Do you think you can forgive me based on extreme fatigue and stress from studying for N.E.W.T.S.?” 

Lily sighed and rolled her eyes at Remus. “I suppose, since you are my idiot after all.” 

A grin broke out across James’s face as he swept her up into his arms. She laughed as he did so, and Remus just looked on awkwardly. When James set her back down on the floor, she glanced at Remus, still standing by the chair he’d been reading in. 

“Hey, you know your second home will always be with the Potters, you know that, right?” James said, linking hands with Lily. 

“Er, right,” Remus said, confused. 

“Alright, well, since it’s nearly two a.m. we should probably get some sleep before the Charms practical tomorrow afternoon,” Lily suggested. 

“Ah bugger, I’m fucked for that,” James muttered. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

After N.E.W.T.S. were over and the graduation ceremony was held, Remus was in the dormitory packing up the last of his belongings into his tattered trunk. James knocked lightly on the doorway before entering. 

“Hey Moony,” he greeted him. 

“Hey Prongs, all packed up?” Remus said. 

“Yeah, it’s all down in the common room already,” James replied. 

“Lily?” 

“Lily.”

Remus and James chuckled at her influence on James’s disorganization habits. 

“So, listen mate, you can say no if you’d like but just hear me out first. I know you’re tight on money right now and I don’t mean to push but you know that you’re always welcome to stay for as long as you need at my parents’ place and that goes for an unlimited amount of time. I mean, Sirius has been bloody living with my family for two years now and it’s not like we don’t have the space for you. My parents would be bloody happy to have you, honestly,” James rambled so fast Remus could hardly catch any of it. 

“James, I have no bloody idea what you just said, mate,” Remus said. 

James rubbed the back of his neck nervously. “You’ll always have a home with us, Moony. And that includes with Lily and I, eventually.” 

Remus’s breath caught in his throat. “Thanks, Prongs, I really appreciate it. Although may I decline on staying with you and Lily until _ after _ the two of you are, er, settled in? I’d rather _ not _ have to experience that firsthand, thanks.” 

James chuckled, “Sure, mate, whatever works for you. Just come home with us after we’re back in London, okay? My mum’s going to have cooked enough for the entire Hogwarts student body to eat, and I can’t bloody eat it by myself, and neither can Padfoot.”

“Yeah, okay. Thanks, mate, for everything. I appreciate it more than you know,” Remus replied. 

“Great,” James clapped Remus on the shoulder. “Let’s get your trunk downstairs, and go meet up with everyone, eh?” 

Remus put the last of his belongings in the trunk and locked it up, letting James take hold of the other side as they walked down the stairs to the common room. 

Home. Hogwarts had been his home for seven years, but now he had another one at the Potter’s. Remus had never been happier to actually be leaving Hogwarts as he was on that day. Fleamont and Euphemia Potter’s warm embraces on Platform Nine and Three-Quarters already felt like home, and he was content. 


End file.
